Hillary Clinton on the speech circuit: 5 takeaways

Hillary Clinton’s words on the speaking circuit may be closed press, but there’s still plenty to learn about her quick pivot from popular secretary of state to well-paid speaker.

She delivered her first post-Cabinet paid speech this week and plans another next week in Florida. These speeches aren’t usually the safest way to make money in advance of a potential campaign. And Clinton, of course, has yet to say whether she plans to run in 2016 (people close to the Clintons say she truly doesn’t know).

• She’s not letting the political vacuum be filled by anyone else. Clinton has every incentive to start collecting her reported $200,000 per speech fee as soon as possible. And as long as she picks her spots carefully, there’s no obvious downside.

But by doing this so quickly after leaving the State Department — rather than taking more time off to recharge, as she had indicated was the plan — Clinton is embracing the role of front-runner, however passively.

To be sure, Clinton was bound to draw media attention regardless of how long a break she took. But by stepping back on the semi-public stage of the speaking circuit sooner than planned, Clinton indicates she believes she can withstand the scrutiny of a front-runner.

“She just finished a term as secretary of state, she’s the putative nominee of the Democratic Party — she can’t disappear,” said Democratic strategist Steve Murphy.

• Potential rivals, beware. The prevailing wisdom is that Clinton will clear the Democratic field in 2016 since no potential challenger will be willing to take on her combination of political muscle and fundraising prowess.

The problem with that scenario, of course, is that it’s precisely what was supposed to happen in 2007. Then a first-term senator named Barack Obama came along, challenged the Clinton veneer of inevitability, and won.

This time, the lay of the land is different — even though people assumed Obama wouldn’t challenge Clinton, his star power was well-known in the Democratic Party. Other than New Jersey’s Cory Booker, there are few dynamic political players who would be obvious challengers to Clinton. And the pent-up desire for a female nominee is huge.

Still, by not taking a six-month respite, Clinton is making clear to anyone who might try to gather steam during her downtime that she plans to stay engaged and establish the boundaries of her turf, at least on some level.

• Her team is ready. The Clinton machine is a pared-down apparatus at this point — a small office in Washington houses a transition staff of about a half-dozen people.

For the first time in decades, however, she does not have the protection of a government office, one that makes it easier to avoid certain questions, and one that provides a greater layer of protection from the press.